Feb 1 - Feb 4, 2012
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
Fantasy
Published 2011
232 pages
9.5/10
Jacob's grandfather Abe has a collection of strange photographs and even stranger stories to go with them; girls who float unless tied to the Earth, and boys who are strong enough to heft boulders with only one hand. Many years ago, Abe lived with these children in a beautiful house on the other side of the world, where a wise old bird protected them from monsters. Jacob thought these were just harmless fairy tales, until the monsters come for him...
I picked this book up know absolutely nothing about it; literally, I didn't even have a dust jacket to go by. But I was feeling adventurous:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
Fantasy
Published 2011
232 pages
9.5/10
Jacob's grandfather Abe has a collection of strange photographs and even stranger stories to go with them; girls who float unless tied to the Earth, and boys who are strong enough to heft boulders with only one hand. Many years ago, Abe lived with these children in a beautiful house on the other side of the world, where a wise old bird protected them from monsters. Jacob thought these were just harmless fairy tales, until the monsters come for him...
I picked this book up know absolutely nothing about it; literally, I didn't even have a dust jacket to go by. But I was feeling adventurous:
And I jumped right in.
I'm totally stoked I gave this book a chance. Even though it's a total departure from my usual fare (no stiff nipples or exploding craniums) I enjoyed it thoroughly. The writing was spot on and I tripped along at a quick pace. There was plenty of action and a multitude of interesting characters to keep me engrossed.
Really, the biggest draw for me was the variety of Peculiars. Not only were they all lovingly drawn and imaginatively unique, they had accompanying photos! Photos! REAL ASS PHOTOS! Do you know how rad that is?! And all the photos are real ass old-timey shots rescued from flea markets and swap meets. Perhaps I'm biased because I also collect abandoned photos, but fuck it, I like this book especially much because of that.
The main plot was sinister, but not overtly so; just enough to please the horror lover in me, but not so much that I, say, couldn't loan it to my precocious niece. There was a touch of romance (no graphic stuff, though) and a really decent amount of violence. But really, the main focus was the fantasy and the magic, and that kept it fairly appropriate. I mean, I'd let MY non-existent imaginary kids read it, but those moms who hate Harry Potter because it's witchcraft might be another story.
I'm totally stoked I gave this book a chance. Even though it's a total departure from my usual fare (no stiff nipples or exploding craniums) I enjoyed it thoroughly. The writing was spot on and I tripped along at a quick pace. There was plenty of action and a multitude of interesting characters to keep me engrossed.
Really, the biggest draw for me was the variety of Peculiars. Not only were they all lovingly drawn and imaginatively unique, they had accompanying photos! Photos! REAL ASS PHOTOS! Do you know how rad that is?! And all the photos are real ass old-timey shots rescued from flea markets and swap meets. Perhaps I'm biased because I also collect abandoned photos, but fuck it, I like this book especially much because of that.
The main plot was sinister, but not overtly so; just enough to please the horror lover in me, but not so much that I, say, couldn't loan it to my precocious niece. There was a touch of romance (no graphic stuff, though) and a really decent amount of violence. But really, the main focus was the fantasy and the magic, and that kept it fairly appropriate. I mean, I'd let MY non-existent imaginary kids read it, but those moms who hate Harry Potter because it's witchcraft might be another story.
Once I finished the very last page, I was dying for more, and I boogied home to see if there were more Peculiar Children books, or at least a continuation; to me, that's a good sign of a great read - when you just want more.
It was maybe a little juvenile (at least in comparison to my usual reads) but this could have also been YA. Even if not, it's a good wholesome story that I'd love to read to my nieces and nephews, because we could all enjoy it.
It was maybe a little juvenile (at least in comparison to my usual reads) but this could have also been YA. Even if not, it's a good wholesome story that I'd love to read to my nieces and nephews, because we could all enjoy it.
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